How to Identify and Report Spam or Phishing Emails

📌 Purpose

• This article explains how to identify and report phishing emails using Outlook’s built-in tools and how this helps improve email security for the Salve community.

👥 Audience

• Faculty / Staff / Students

🖥️ Applies To

• Outlook for Windows / macOS / Web (Outlook on the web - OWA)

🛠️ Instructions

1. In Outlook (Desktop App):
   • Select the suspicious message in your inbox.
   • On the Home tab, click Report > Report Phishing.
2. In Outlook on the Web (OWA):
   • Select the suspicious message.
   • Click the three dots (...) next to Reply, then choose Report > Phishing.
3. The message will be forwarded to Microsoft for analysis and removed from your inbox.

🔍 How to Spot a Phishing Email

• Urgency or Threats: Messages that create panic or urgency (“Act now or your account will be locked!”).
• Unfamiliar Senders: Check the sender's email address carefully. Often it will be misspelled or spoofed.
• Suspicious Links or Attachments: Hover over links without clicking — phishing emails often disguise malicious URLs as legitimate ones.
• Too Good to Be True: Offers of money, prizes, or job opportunities with no effort or application.
• Poor Grammar and Spelling: Phishing emails often contain noticeable mistakes or formatting issues.
• Requests for Personal Information: Salve Regina University will never ask you to send passwords, Social Security numbers, or banking information by email.

💡 Troubleshooting & Tips

• Why report phishing? Reporting suspicious emails helps Microsoft improve its filters and protect the entire Salve community.
• If you're not sure whether an email is suspicious, forward it to support@salve.edu and we’ll review it for you.